One of the Boys
by babycham lover 003
Summary: Mikan is a basket ball and sports fanatic, what happens when she sneaks in to join Alice Academy's Boy's school for Sport famous basketball team? But as a boy! Will she be able to keep her gender, and emotions under wraps? THE ORIGINAL AND THE BEST
1. Chapter 1: Cheer up, boys

I'm redoing some of the chapters, enjoy! Sorry I'm being slow but bear w/ me!

Disclaimer claimed.

**One of the Boys**

**Chapter 1: Cheer up, boys (Your makeup is running)**

_It was meant to be_  
_But all along it never meant a thing_  
_Never stopped to ask you why_  
_You didn't pass me by_  
_Did you see me in your life_  
_Flash before your eyes_  
_Was it just that i wasn't hard enough,_  
_Hard enough for you_

_Stop using my_  
_Confusion_  
_Wait, wait_

_Theres a world out there_  
_Don't you deny me_  
_Give me one last wish_  
_Theres a world out there_

_**Cheer up, Boys (Your makeup is running)**_

"**No effing way Daddy!"**

"Mikan, how many times, do not half heartedly use swear words, say it from the heart!" My dad joked. I ran to him and hugged him tears in my eyes, "But Dad, I have to go to this school! Look at the sports timetable! Look at how many it covers!" I wailed. He took the sheet from my hands and scanned it quickly sighing tiredly, "You're right. It has to be this school."

We had been searching for the past year for the perfect school, and we had found it. Alice Academy. And I knew from that determined expression Dad wasn't joking anymore.

Hi there! I'm Mikan Sakura, I'm fifteen and I love playing basketball. Before you think I'm going all sporty on you I'm not a tomboy and am proud to say I'm one of the laziest people you will _ever_ know. I try to be optimistic too because karma can be a female dog on the best of days. I am fully into the whole dress and skirt wearing thing, and with legs like mine, I can pull the shortest skirt off, not that I would. I am 5"6 with long brown wavy hair and brown eyes, (boring!) and share an unparalleled love of sport with my dad. The high school I'm applying for is a boy's only school sport school, with a "sister" school that specialises in media and English. They share the same school name and some buildings (the campus is H-U-G-E) but depending on what _gender_ you are you can't do certain subjects.

I have been playing basketball since age two and can do a slam dunk like a man. But the girl's curriculum only focuses on media and English whereas the boy's is PE and more PE and er, the core stuff. But mainly PE. This school is for the PE fanatics of the year, which includes me.

Anyway enough about me, my dad is a famous basketball player, (he's just taking a break at the moment) and understands my love for the sport. So in less than five seconds he picked up the phone from its holder and went into the hallway to speak with the principle of the boy's school leaving me alone in the living room. I closed my eyes and prayed for a miracle, a miracle to be enrolled that is. My eyes were squeezed shut and my stomach jolted uneasily.

_Please Lord, please Lord, please -_

My dad came back into the room with a big grin on his face after five agonizing minutes,

"Guess who just lied about having a son to get his daughter enrolled?"

"OMG Dad! No bloody way!" I screamed. But then one thought made me come crashing back down to earth... "Wait, what will mom say?"

My mom didn't like me doing basketball and much less for high school, a lump raised in my throat.

"Honey, leave your mom to me…we have another two months until she gets back and we break it to her."

I nodded. Mom was gonna need a drink. Make it large. I should explain, my mom is an author and her latest book has been a pretty big hit, so she's currently going on tour and doing conferences but as it's so far away she can't come home for another two months, and I miss her. Lots.

"So when do I start?"

"Tomorrow. You were the last one the Principle could squeeze in." I threw myself at my dad. He patted my hair and we both started to laugh.

"Oh crap, dad, how do I become a boy?" He frowned, suddenly realising that this would be a problem.

"Honey, I … I think that we should only get you looking like one, why not let Hotaru help? She's good at disguises." I nodded; she knew how to do _everything._

I whipped my phone out and began dialling while walking over to the couch to sit down.

"What is it idiot?" Came a slightly cranky voice from the other end of the phone.

"Hotaru…can you make me be a boy before tomorrow?"

"Why? I've gotta pack, I leave tomorrow for Alice Academy. Wait…did you say "a boy"? Make you look like one? What the hell are you up to Mikan?"

"I'm coming round yours, don't go anywhere!" I yelled quickly hanging up and throwing my phone on the sofa. I kissed my dad, got my bag and ran up the streets to Hotaru's house. It was about three o'clock in the afternoon and the summer sun was still bright and boldly shining on to the pavement and onto the trees that lined the street. Finally reaching her house, I rang the door bell and looked up at the big white house that smelt of money. Hotaru's mom was a journalist and also was the best snoop ever created, it was rumoured that she could smell a scandal from a mile off. And they benefited from it.

Hotaru opened the door looking blankly at me. She was dressed in denim three quarter lengths and a top like me, but I had shorts on.

"Hotaru, I've been enrolled into the Boy's Alice Academy for Sport!" I screamed with joy.

She winced at the sudden noise I made and raised her eyebrow, "How? Last time I checked you were a girl."

"Errrr, well dad lied and said I was a boy, so I need to know how to be a boy! Teach me!"

"And what gives you the impression that _I_know what it is to be _a boy_?" She asked scathingly.

I stuttered and faltered wilting under her glare, "Dad and I thought…" I gave her the puppy dog eyes.

She opened the door wider letting me in sighing. We walked up to her room where she sat at her computer. I dumped my bag on the soft bed and looked around the lilac room with photos hanging off her pin board of the latest scandals about people in our year ready to be scanned in to the computer onto her successful gossip website, which she did not enjoy writing in the guise of a chatty gossip girl character but enjoyed the money she received from the hundreds who visited it.

She typed into Google, "how to be a boy". "How useless…" she muttered as she scrolled through the searches. Closing the window she turned to me saying,

"We'll have to start from the top since the internet's no help." She leant down and opened a draw to get out a lilac note pad and pen,

"Right starting with the hair, we're going to make a list of what there is to change." I sat at her feet and we listed from my hair, clothes to my voice and height. "Let's get to action!" She said standing up after half an hour of brain storming. We grabbed our bags and shut the door behind us. I giggled, we walked out of the doorway into the last of the bright summer light.

We first caught a taxi into the city and stopped at a hairdresser's and went in but I was not ready for what nearly happened next.

"WAHHHH! I DO NOT WANT MY HAIR CUT! You know I've been growing it for nine months!" I shrieked sitting in the chair. Hotaru sighed,

"Well," she turned to the scared hairdresser, "Do you have any wigs?"

He nodded and ran off bringing a mountain of shiny wigs back. We sifted thought the mound until we found a boys hair style, matching my natural hair colour. The hair dresser pinned my hair back and put it on, I looked…quite nice actually! My cheek bones were accentuated and the style framed my face. It was cut to give layers and was a little long, but I screamed if he cut any more hair from the wig off.

" Next, clothes…" Hotaru muttered crossing off "Hair style" on the list. We caught the bus to the biggest mall, which is far away as we live near the country side. But when we got there we dived into every boy's shop and bought lots of jeans (I now own size 0 boy jeans… what to say…) and loads of baggy tops to hide my small chest.

"Hotaru what'll I do about my chest when I'm running?" She looked at me thinking hard while eating a strawberry sundae. We were currently at a retro styled ice cream parlour eating ice cream and drinking milkshakes (chocolate for me, strawberry for Hotaru) after a hard day of shopping.

"Do what Mulan did, wrap a bandage round it; it worked for half the film." She said blandly returning to her ice cream, swirling a long elegant finger in the cream and tasting it. I frowned, "Thanks, I'll go gangster, Yukaza style. No, seriously, I should get a sports bikini top maybe…" That was stop number three, the swim wear shop. We got ones that were in black and white.

Next we followed boys around the mall and I imitated the way they walked, sway sway, no hips used, move your head to an imaginary rap beat. Weeeelll, more or less.

We got the bus home practicing my "broken" voice.

"Now say… hi." Said Hotaru, thankfully the top floor was empty.

I lowered my head slightly and said "Hi there." In a slightly deep voice, but it still sounded a bit high.

Oh god, all for the love of basketball.

I packed my new wardrobe in my suitcase already anticipating this new adventure. I jumped on my suitcases while my dad tried to zip them up. I got changed into my pyjamas and turned on my bedside light and snuggled down for the last time in a while in my bed.

"Get some sleep now Mikan, your flight is going to be a long one, the city is far away from here. Good night honey"

"Good night Dad." I leaned over and turned off my blue bedside light. As I sat in the dark, unable to sleep just yet I stared at the ceiling and thought. I really missed mom, she was off on her world tour for her new book but I wish she could have came to the airport to see me off. It would make me feel better about going, oh well. I put my iPhone onto charge and rolled over to sleep.

I woke up at half two and immediately got ready, I tied my hair up and put on my normal clothes, I would change when I get there, so my hand luggage was a tight bundle of clothes, shoes and a wig. I just hope they don't ask questions at security, I'm a rubbish liar.

I met Hotaru at the airport, who was eating a shrimp Prêt a manger sandwich.

"Wow, you and your dad are early, that's a miracle." She said her face as blank as ever.

"I know right? Hey, can we go shopping now?" Hotaru looked past me and up. She ignored me and went put her sandwich case in the bin.

I called after her, annoyed. "Hey…Hotaru?"

"Oi, get outta my way." A low rough voice muttered from behind me.

I turned around to see a complete and utter _giant_ standing behind me. God he's tall! I looked up into his eyes, which were fiercely red and stuck my chin out while saying, "_Make me_."

He raised his eyebrow, Hotaru didn't have her gun on her but I could hear her softly growl and narrow her eyes from a distance.

He picked me up in his huge hands over my shoulders and literally, I mean literally as in physically, _picked me__**up**__._He then set me down out of his way and sauntered past.

"_Damn_!" I cussed. He threw me a glance over his shoulder, "Watch it _squirt_."

He turned forward again and I gave him the one fingered salute. **It's THREE IN THE BLOODY MORNING! WHAT THE HELL?**

Luckily for me no one asked any questions at security and I got threw it, wig and all. I waited at the gate for my aeroplane to be called and eating Ben and Jerry's ice cream out of a vending machine and talking to Hotaru to pass the time.

When the flight was called, I walked onto the aeroplane earphones in and slumped in my seat after searching like, fifty aisles for it. My thoughts drifted to my dad, he was probably crying somewhere, his best buddy gone.

I sighed, and looked around; the seat next to me was vacant. Let's hope the person never comes! I thought. The flight was like, five hours long, and I did _not_ want some person annoying me for that long.

I closed my eyes and put my earphones in; I opened my eyes at the end of the song so I could listen to the safety drill.

I looked next to me, the seat wasn't empty but it had _him_in it. And by _him_ I mean Mr. Oh-Get-Out-Of-My-Way-Squirt.

"Why are you stalking me?" I hissed. He turned and said with a raised eyebrow, "I could say the same thing."

"Oh shut it." I snapped. **Bam,** my peaceful flight ruined. He looked down at my seat and smirked, oh _whatever,_ I thought, as if my skirt _looks_ that funny.

He sniggered openly while putting in his earphones staring at me with an arched brow and now I was plain irritated,

"What's your problem?" I whispered as the announcement for the safety procedures was going on.

"Nothing … Polka dots." I looked in his line of sight. DAMN SKIRTS!

My skirt had lifted as I had sat down showing the _whole_of economy class my knickers. I snarled, "You pervert."

The first thirty minutes of our flight was silent to say the least. Meanwhile I imagined different ways of very painful deaths for him and that alone calmed me down.

I turned to him after a while thinking maybe we had just got off on the wrong foot so I asked him, "So where are you going?"

He ignored me. I punched his shoulder softly quickly losing my patience with him, "Hey, I'm talking _to you_!"

Slience. I huffed and crossed my arms thinking someone just blew their chance of ever gaining my forgiveness.

"Fine, what ever if you've taken an five hour vow of silence, that's _fine_ by me. Perfectly wonde-"

He turned to me smirking his red eyes flashing dangerously, holy mother pucker lip gloss, my heart banged so hard against my chest I knew every one could hear it. Stop it heart, he's a jerk!

"Alice Academy for boys, but you probably don't know where that is. Or what it is _simpleton_."

"**Shut up!** In fact I'm going there my self!"

"I said _boy's_ Academy, you mean the _girl's_one."

"Err, yeah! Right, that's what I meant. So what?" I hurriedly said clearing up the mistake.

Later he fell asleep and I watched edging further away as his head bounced around from the turbulence and safely landed on my shoulder. I widened my eyes and thought, _god he sleeps like a log_. His head on my shoulder made my heart thump badly; I hope I never bump into him again…

I wasted away the flight thinking and reading and when we landed I stuck with Hotaru.

A blond guy was waiting at arrivals, "Alice students, **OVER HERE PEOPLE! I'M CALLING OUT NAMES!"**

Hotaru heard this and pushed me into the nearest toilet. I ran into a cubicle, "Get changed _now_. What's your fake name?"

I began to change unfurling the clothes quickly, "Err Miki Sakura, spelt with an "I"."

"Right, good. Now hurry up, the register is near to…" She opened the door to the toilets. " "H" surnames, I think." I tied up my orange converse laces and stepped out securing my wig one last time. I had changed into dark black jeans, a blue top with white sleeveless hoodie, and hot damn I looked good, I thought smugly. I ruffled my bangs one last time and prepared to go out into the world. Well, not the world, school, but you know what I mean!

"Okay, let's get out of here!" I said picking up my bag giggling. I felt dizzy and giddy, one of my favourite feelings.

We ran towards the group of tired students carrying various sizes of hand luggage.

"Hotaru Imai?"

"Here." She called from a little distance; we slowed our running to walking and blended in attempting to suppress our panting.

I clutched onto her hand, scared out of my wits.

"Miki Sakura?" I cleared my throat, and said in a super practiced voice, "Here."

It was just a little deeper than my real voice so when I was caught off guard it wouldn't seem so strange.

We were then led onto a coach, where all the people who wanted to wreck havoc before term had started, shuffled to the back to sit down. I got Hotaru and I seats in the middle. I looked back to see who had claimed the back, a loud group of tall muscular boys had. Figures, I snorted mentally. I sneakily re-folded my other clothes and pushed them deep into my bag.

"Now remember Mikan, your name is Miki. _Miki_, got it?" Hotaru muttered.

I nodded saying in my man-voice, "Jeez dude I got it!" She smiled.

We arrived at the school quickly only to be separated. I threw a small smile at Hotaru who whispered, "Good luck stupid." As she joined the girls line and disappeared into the crowd of giggling girls.

"All boys over here! I'm your new form tutor Narumi!" I heard groans; hey, he seems alright to me.

"I will now partner you up so, if you could get your partner, follow the path downwards and get your keys and settle in, we'll all be happy. And one last thing the basketball tryouts are today at five, tennis at four and football at six." I looked at the distant school; it gleamed in the sun, big and beautiful and white. The sunset stained the clear windows shocking reds, pinks and the clouds were a soft yellow and floated serenely above our heads as birds chattered in the lush green forest.

"-akura? Miki Sakura?"

I snapped out of my staring, "Yeah?"

"Come here, your paaaartner will beeeee," and as I wriggled out of the crowd next to Narumi, he mouthed "eeny meeny miny mo… " while going down the names on a clipboard with a long pale slender finger, "Natsume Hyuga!"

"It's you." I muttered in socked recognition as a familiar figure emerged from the crowd. He walked closer, "Say what? It's me?"

"I-I didn't say anything." _Shit_! Way to go Mikan!

"Hn." We walked in silence to the school. I cleared my throat, "So uh, hey, I'm Mika-Miki."

"Natsume." He grunted. His pale skin was being painted amber red from the setting sun as we set off walking down the path following so many pairs ahead of us.

May as well make conversation, maybe he isn't all that bad…

"Right…So you play… what?" I asked.

He looked down on me from the side, "Basketball".

"Oh, snap!" I gushed looking up smiling openly. "Going for tryouts then?" I prompted.

"Of course stupid." He stopped sneering and walked on ahead leaving me lagging behind. My temper flared, _sorry_ for trying to make conversation. "Whatever jerk." I muttered back.

"What did you say?"

"I said "Whatever suits you dude." We silently walked into the pristine white reception with light wooden flooring. Walked up received our key at the big oak desk, it was so shiny and polished I could see my face in it! I got two sets of keys and walked back to Natsume examining them closely. They were both for room two-oh-five. I handed him one and said, "There must be some kind of mistake, we have the same room key, I'll just go get another one. Sorry I'll be quic-"I said attempting to laugh it off.

_Please tell me it's not what I think it is, pleas-_

"There's no mistake. We're sharing a room. Together. Want it any clearer stupid?"

"No. Thank. You." I said through gritted teeth.

"Tch."

We went into the lift and I stared at the wallpaper in the lift attempting to stop the tears welling. And my head itches, darn wig. But more importantly, how am I supposed to keep my cool _and_cover with an infuriating guy like Hyuga around? He's seen me as a girl! It's only a matter of time!

"We're here, hurry up." The Natsume said blankly. I gulped, "Comin'."

Buddha, Lord, ANYTHING SOS! HELP ME!


	2. Chapter 2: Bulletproof

Chapter 2: Bulletproof

Finally I've begun writing again, I've been held back but I've been honing my writing skills so expect a lot better quality chapters. That's why I've deleted them., I've also got a tumblr blog dedicated to Gakuen Alice and this fanfic so once I've bulked it up the link'll be on my profile

Please review! I want to see who's reading! Thank you for waiting xxx

Also any beta readers want to help me? PM me!

**Chapter 2:****Bulletproof**

I won't let you turn around,  
and tell me now I'm much too proud,  
to walk away from something when it's dead,  
do do do your dirty words come out to play when you are hurt?,  
there's certain things that should be left unsaid,  
tick tick tick on the watch and life's too short for me to stop,  
Oh baby, your time is running out,  
I won't let you turn around,  
and tell me now I'm much too proud,  
All you do is fill me up with doubt,

This time baby I'll be bulletproof

_La Roux - Bulletproof_

We walked in silence into our room. My heart was hammering loudly so I cleared my throat and said,

"So uh, what s'up homie?"

Natsume turned to me. He raised his eyebrow. Slick.

"_Never_call me homie again." He said bending down and breathing in my face, I almost began sweating,

"Sure roomie!" I squeaked. He sighed and gave up. I opened my suitcase and took out my gym stuff, it was three o'clock now… I opened my toiletries bag and began to take out my shampoo and shower gel.

I walked into the bathroom and put my stuff neatly in a cupboard. I closed it and walked out I had left my suitcase open, crap! Natsume was looking in his, thank god.

I ran to it before Natsume turned around slamming the lid. "How long have you been playing basketball then?" He asked turning around with a basket ball in his hands. He threw it at me and I jumped to catch it.

"Since I was two." I dribbled it around him and he picked up the ball and began to dribble it around me.

"Neat stuff dude." I said impressed. I shrugged and turned around to carry on unpacking; I went to the big wardrobe and hung up my hoodies and tops. Was I the only one using the wardrobe?

Well, fine I'll use the whole space then I decided.

Natsume went into the bathroom and opened my cupboard by mistake,

"Dude, what the hell is strawberry shampoo doing in a cupboard? In _my_ room?" I froze and turning around I said kind of angry, it's my room too you know!

"Errr, that's my stuff man! Don't diss strawberries okay? Huh, what you a strawberry-ist discriminator person, huh?"

What the hell was I jabbering about? People who discriminate against strawberries? Oh sweet Jesus I may as well hand myself in now.

"Geez, just don't let me see it again." He muttered in that velvet voice of his.

"Sure thang." I said chirpily, happy I was out of deep water.

I put my iPod on Dizee's Rascal's "Bonkers" on the speakers I had packed and plugged in. Natsume walked in smirking, "That's more like it."

He bopped his head to the beat, so I quickly did the same. Is it a guy thing? I got dizzy very quickly so I stopped and carried on unpacking.

Natsume walked over to me, our room was spacious and clean. It had laminated flooring and we both had white squishy beds. "So really think you can make the team?" He asked eyebrow raised.

I get the feeling he does that a lot. The whole raise-y eyebrow thing, I mean.

"You know it!" I replied, what was this pervert suggesting I couldn't make the team? I had made every one I had tried for, but he wasn't to know. He shrugged and said offhandedly,

"Well just so you know, my friends and I are definitely making the team, so if you don't get on, don't be disappointed."

I gritted my teeth and smiled tightly, "Oh, I'll be joining you."

He looked into my suitcase, "Why are there tampons in your case?"

I gulped, panicking I said shakily,

"Oh these? Well you see I used to play … uh …play streetball with my friends and fights always broke out afterwards, these can stop a nose bleed faster than you can say- "

"Whatever, forget I asked." He backed away and didn't look into my case again, phew! That was too close!

I punched my head, stupid Mikan! Couldn't you think of something better?

"Hey, we better be going now, it's half four."

I grabbed my bag and said, "After you roomie!"

As we walked out into the hallway we met Natsume's friends,

"Yo dude!" called a dirty blonde haired boy with a grin.

"Natsume." Nodded another blonde with longer bangs. Natsume bumped fists with them, they turned to me and asked, "What's _his_ name?"

Natsume stayed mute so I stepped forward, "Wass'up man! I'm Miki Sakura, nice to know you."

"Yo dude, I'm Kokoroyome, call me Koko though." Blondie two nodded, "I'm Ruka man."

"Off for basketball?" Koko asked me, "Hella yeah!" They all stopped.

"Hella … yeah?" Ruka said amused. Err, they don't say that? I shrugged, "I'm a man of many words."

Koko laughed, his laugh bouncing off the hallway. We walked in the sunlight to the sports hall. The guys were talking about tactics and holidays and I was absorbed in listening to their conversation, I felt at ease with them. My mind wandered to my own friends back at home. How were they doing?

"Yo Sakura? Are you listening?" I snapped out of it, Koko was waving his hand in front of my face. "Get changed, we're here."

"Oh! Uh I mean, *cough* yeah man." I choked out. I walked like I always did, into the ladies toilets. Ruka grabbed my hood, "This way dude, seriously. You need to get your eyes checked."

"He he he, yeeeahh…." I weakly laughed, I needed to be more aware of my small mistakes, anything could raise suspicion. I walked into the stuffy, hot, changing room, it was full of half naked guys. My instincts screamed, "Get the hell outta here Mikan!"

They started stripping, so before I had a nosebleed I threw my bag into my saviour. The disabled toilet room.

"Er, dudes, my bag jumped in here, I'm just goin' to get it!"

I slipped into the disabled toilets and got changed, I put on my swimming top and wrapped round a bandage to even it out, and a big black sleeveless vest to over it, along with white baggy shorts and my orange converse with shin length socks. Looking down I realised that I had made a vital mistake a few days before. I had shaved my legs. Hopefully no one would notice.

I snuck out, the changing room was empty, damn. I must be late.

I ran into the sports hall. I went and joined onto the line of boys, pulling my shorts down self conscious in an attempt to cover my hairless limbs. Please let no one see my shaved legs!

"I'm your coach, my name is Reo. I will be known as your master for this years season." Yelled an auburn haired guy who was tall and muscular.

The kind of guy you wouldn't want to bump into in a dark alley, not that he was dodgy looking, in fact the reverse. Dodgy people wouldn't be queuing up to bump into him at any time in the day. He prowled up and down the line, spitting out insults. He looked at the fat kid next to me,

"WE'RE GONNA **WORK** THE STUFFING OUT OF YOU!"

He walked to me and bent down, "Are you a _runt_ child?" He spat to me.

I wiped the spit away off my face, mildly annoyed.

"There are twenty-nine of you, perfect. Right, this is where your death is decided. This is war, kill or be killed...You understand? NOW GO GRAB A VEST!" He yelled and I almost jumped. He pointed to the various mounds of colour vests. I ran to the mound of white vests and rammed it on.

"Now split evenly into groups of five and we'll have a practice game, LET ME SEE WHAT YOU'VE GOT!" He blew a whistle.

I joined a group of four boys wearing white shirts. One was tall and lanky, another spotty and short, there was the fat kid and a guy smaller than _me._ I looked at Natsume, he had it all planned out. His team all perfect and experienced.

_Thanks roomie_.

I sighed, "Come on guys let's show them what we've got!" Coach blew his whistle.

"WHITES VS REDS! COME ON LADIES I HAVEN'T GOT ALL DAY!" Shouted Reo.

I began to jog to the centre warming up quickly stretching my arms above my head.

Reo stood in the middle of the court, I was playing centre, as was Natsume. I quickly assessed him, about 5"11 and strong, hint of agility and lots of explosive speed. Reo threw the ball up and I jumped up high to get it, Natsume over powered with ease and dribbled around me, he bounced it waist high, too high I thought.

I waited until it was halfway between his hand and the ground when I dove in and dribbled low. He tried to put me off with his height, but I kept my cool. I turned to yell for backup, all my team were useless. One had even sat down. The fat kid had started eating, _in the middle of a game._Where on earth was he hiding that Hershey's bar? Actually, no I didn't want to know.

I'll do the scoring then, thank you very much.

I had a hard time getting past Natsume, his feet were big, but nimble. He could see through my feints so I stuck with a fast paced dribble round his legs. I dribbled, spun and feinted round his team. Too easy.

Ruka had other ideas and tried to crowd me while letting Natsume take the ball. Realising this I passed the ball round his head clearing the way to the goal I jumped and did a slam dunk past Koko's surprised face.

"Score!" I yelled, quickly lowering my voice. Everyone stood and stared at me.

"Right, what's your name?" Reo asked coming over with a stormy expression on his face.

"Er, Mika-MIKI! It's Miki." I hastily corrected.

"Miki, sit these games out." He spat while pointing to the rows of benches where usually the audience sat.

"Huh?" What the hell? I had been good!

"I DON'T REPEAT MYSELF MIKI!" He screamed.

I turned and sighed. I walked up the stairs and slumped onto a bench and watched bored as Natsume and his posse obliterated every team. I counted his players… they had four! It should be five in a basketball team!

There was Koko, Natsume, Ruka and silvery blonde-ish haired boy who looked as bored as I felt. I watched them closely, Natsume was their star player who played centre and was their main shooter, and second shooter was silver haired boy who was good at receiving passes without being obviously notified. Ruka was good at jumping high, dribbling fast and passing far across the area. Koko was a mean slam dunker but was best at sticking at the wings to dribble the ball away from a potential shooters hand.

Which was comically aided by a mad dance at one point as he was complaining of boredom so much. But still. There's supposed to be five a side in basketball! Reo sent the teams who failed to sit on the bench with me. I sighed as I looked disgruntled at the people I had been sat with, I hadn't been as bad as them! I tapped my wig into place gently. My chest was tightly bounded up, it was hard to breath. I wondered if I should just go home and call it a day… Soon enough Natsume's team was the only one left over.

"MIKI OVER HERE. NOW!" Yelled Reo. I sighed and walked over, "What s'up coach?" I asked scratching my head, the wig is itchy!

" I have seen, determination, progress, failure and," he turned to my team, "PURE LAZINESS, GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" The fat kid had at least the grace to put the chocolate bar down.

"Thank you for coming but can the following step up, Natsume, Ruka, Koko, Youichi and … Miki. You guys were the best players here so you're all on my team."

He turned sympathetically to the rest, "Go home."

Coach Reo waited for the rest to file out before smoothing his hair down and readjusting his zebra print sleeveless hoodie.

" Welcome to the team, my name is Coach Reo. You ladies _nearly_ earned my respect out there and someday I will call you all men." He leaned in and looked down at me, who was considerably smaller than the rest of our newly formed team. "Yes, even you runt. I am a strict and orderly man so I expect punctuality and respect from you. Any lip and you are out on your behind faster than you can say "Quidditch". We practice every day Saturday and Sunday from six till nine." He paused, having now settled into a moderate volume. He smiled, more warmly this time and his violet eyes softened as he said "And once again, welcome to the team."

Whoops went up and Natsume and silver guy high fived each other and me and Koko bumped fists. "Yeeaaahhh baby!" I said happily.

He pointed to his office, "Go get a top from my office." We walked into the office and ripped the plastic coverings from our blue vests with the golden "Alice" crest in the middle. I reached for a medium one and grabbed it tight. To think, I chastised myself, you were going to quit.

"But enough of the celebrations, I have a meeting to go to. So we'll meet here tomorrow for Saturday's practice." Reo smiled at us and left.

"Whooop! We did it Natsume! You da maaan!" Said Koko, "Yeah well done too Miki." Said Ruka, "Let's hit the showers dude 'cos Koko, you _stink_."

I walked into the changing rooms and grabbed my bag, "Where you going Miki? You gotta shower!"" Laughed Koko whacking my back in a friendly manner. Mistakenly to avoid Koko's eyes my own settled on something a lot worse. A certain red-eyed boy was taking off his top. Sharply inhaling I jabbered,

"Err my phone's ringing, bad signal here so I'll be going now..." And I ran out my heart pounding. I had just seen Natsume Hyuga topless. TOPLESS.

"Ooooooh god." I whispered running to our dorm.

The next day I woke up early, my hair flowed over the pillow. CRAP!

I scrambled for my wig and shoved it on, luckily Natsume woke up when I had finished, my heart was pounding.  
"Mornin' roomie!" I chirped in my normal voice, damn that was too high!

He looked at me to say, "Roomie? _Seriously_?"

"Your voice still breaking?" He asked while sitting up. I nodded quickly looking at him. And I saw it again.

His bare chest. Does he _ever_wear clothes? I self consciously tugged at my top and began to jabber on completely forgetting his question.

"So, uh, I'll go n the shower first okay?" I jumped out of bed and skidded into the bathroom.

He just picked a manga from the floor and began to read it.

Later that day we all trooped to go to practice and Coach had a "fun" exercise in mind for us.

"NATSUME! SET YOU AND YOUR LADY FRIENDS UP WITH THEIR BALL!" Natsume obliged and handed everyone a basketball, we stood in a line. I was ready for what ever came my way.

"Today, we will be focusing on deflecting the ball with our body. Use your chest, limbs anything to deflect it, DON'T DRIBBLE IT. Simply bounce it back. GOT IT? NOW GO!"

We spread out into a circle and Koko threw his ball at Natsume's chest who bounced it back. Natsume picked up his ball and threw it hard at my chest.

Square in the chest. The ball bounced to the ground the sound echoing, tears actual,_tears_ formed in my eyes.

"It burns!" I whispered softly.

"What's the matter Missy Miki? What's burning?" Bellowed Reo watching me. Everyone stopped and looked at me.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

"Err, well you see I have a … a … I have," Now think up of _the_ best lie of the centaury.

"I have burns."

" … Burns. You have _burns_ Sakura?"

I nodded.

"Yes I have burns on my chest." I confirmed.

"What kind of burns may I ask?" Reo asked coming closer. I gulped, which was the highest again? I crossed my fingers, thinking whatever I'll go for broke.

" Second degree burns sir. They're _very_ nasty, ugly looking burns, er, and I'd prefer to um, not get hit in the chest. For that reason." I could hear "ooohs" and an "owch". Phew, I had picked the right one!

"RIGHT! NO ONE HITS SAKURA IN THE CHEST." He yelled just to make it carried on practicing as if I hadn't said anything but later in our break Koko asked,

"So dude how did you get the burns?"

"Erm, an accident. I got some hot water on my chest when I was younger." "Yowch! How old were you?" Asked Ruka.

"I was… I was five." I stammered back. My "burns" had been dubbed as "The Burns" in our team.

"Is that why you ran out of the showers yesterday?" Asked Youichi looking bored.

"Um, yeah dude. Sorry 'bout that." I said trying not to laugh they actually bought my lame cover story. Damn, they saw me running?

"No prob, "The Burns" must look really bad for a _guy _on the basketball teamto run away from a shower head."

I smiled weakly, was the gender emphasis necessary?

"Well," I countered reasonably. "Everyone's got a weakness." Little did I know what was about to become my own.


End file.
